WAMG has your free passes to an advance screening of THE COMMUTER.
In this action-packed thriller, Liam Neeson is Michael, an insurance salesman, whose daily commute home quickly becomes anything but routine. After being confronted by a mysterious stranger (Vera Farmiga), Michael is blackmailed into finding the identity of a passenger on his train before the last stop. As he works against the clock to solve the puzzle, Michael is unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that carries life and death stakes for himself and his fellow passengers.
The movie stars Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Jonathan Banks, with Elizabeth McGovern, and Sam Neill.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, THE COMMUTER opens in theaters January 12, 2018.
For the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of THE COMMUTER on January 9 at 7:00 pm:
Answer the following.
Following the worldwide success of Unknown, Non-Stop, and Run All Night, star Liam Neeson and director Jaume Collet-Serra reunite for a fourth time with this explosive thriller. The fast-paced psychological thriller plays along the same lines as an Alfred Hitchcock film. Name one ________________.
ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house.
PG-13 for some intense action/violence, and language.
Here’s a most unusual entry in a genre that’s now becoming a cinema staple: the origin story. Now that term may be most associated with comic books, and many of the superhero blockbusters are just that, the story of how he, she, or they came to get their powers, whip up a costume, and so on (the recent DOCTOR STRANGE is an excellent example). Ah, but this is a true tale, almost an autobiography. There have been many “bio-origins”, from YOUNG MR. LINCOLN to SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU (hmm.. both about future presidents). Yes, there’s the individual’s journey, but this flick is also about a product. THE SOCIAL NETWORK concerned Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of that website, and STEVE JOBS was as much about the man as it was about the personal computer. This new movie focuses on Ray Kroc and chronicles the evolution of the fast food restaurant industry, mainly the world domination of the home of the “golden arches”, McDonald’s. And though Ray proclaimed his legacy in speech and plastered it on his business card, this film debunks his claim as THE FOUNDER.
It begins with a close-up of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) in full “hard sell” mode. He’s trying to convince the owner of a “drive-in” eatery, that he needs to buy a multi-spindle (six to be exact) milk shake mixer. But the owner doesn’t “bite”, so this beaten-down “Willy Loman” of diner supplies lugs the heavy mixer back to its place in the trunk of his old sedan. It’s 1954, and this tired 52 year-old hustler can’t even get the food he order from the teenage “carhop” (not chicken, the pork plate!). Luckily he’s got his flask filled. The night at a “fleabag” motel, he lulls himself to sleep with a bottle of “rotgut” and a motivational record. He’s back on the road the next day. After another “bust”, he pumps quarters into a pay phone and checks in with his office in Chicago. He’s told that a place in California wants six (!) mixers. This must be a mistake. Ray then calls the eatery, and the client tells him he could actually use eight mixers! Jumping back into his auto, Ray makes the cross-country trek to San Bernardino and pulls into the parking lot of the McDonald’s hamburger stand. It’s not a drive-in, instead people line up (and there’s a long one) to a window and order food. Once Ray gets to the window, he’s stunned that his food is given to him seconds after ordering, all hot and correct! No plates and silverware, either. As Ray savors his burger and fries, a man sweeping the lot says hello. He’s one of the co-owners, ‘Mac’ Mcdonald (John Carroll Lynch). Ray introduces himself and Mac offers him a behind the scenes (or grill) tour. Watching over the operation inside is the co-owner, Mac’s brother Dick (Nick Offerman). The boys tell Ray their story and explain their fast food theory. Heading back to his home in the Chicago suburbs, Ray excitedly tells his wife Ethel (Laura Dern) about the place, who believes it’s another one of her hubby’s “pipe dreams”. But Ray in unfazed, he thinks the lil’ burger stand should expand and franchise. But Dick is wary, after having a bad time with opening other places in California and New Mexico. They can’t enforce quality control. But Ray is a most ardent, and persistent suitor and convinces the guys that he is the one that’ll make sure their high standards are met. Contracts are signed and soon Ray is breaking ground on a new location in Des Plaines, Illinois. But it’s a stormy marriage between him and the brothers, Dick is too cautious while Ray is too aggressive. Ray expands the empire at a feverish pitch while Dick fumes out west. And Ray wants more money and power. Tensions mount as this “battle of the wills” intensifies. Who will control the growing empire, the principled McDonald brothers or Ray, the “super-salesman”?
The title role is a showcase for the talents of the always interesting Mr. Keaton. It’s an engaging roller coaster of a life “arc’ as he shows us the weary beaten-down by life Kroc at the story’s opening, the happy twinkle in his eyes as he wraps up the “pitch’, only to have his spirits crushed and casually swept aside. Keaton then gives us a revitalized Kroc, as if the sight of the Hamburger place shoots out a lightning bolt, piercing his corroded psyche. His “seduction” of the brothers recalls Keaton’s breakthrough movie role 35 years ago as the fast-talking “idea man” in NIGHT SHIFT. After he grabs the gold ring, Keaton then amps up his natural charisma, as he opens the door on another side of Kroc, becoming a fast food Elmer Gantry, converting the congregations to the cult of the quick burger, making those golden arches into a revival tent. We’re almost cheering on Ray, until Keaton opens the door on the dark side of his nature. He goes from determined underdog to cold-eyed shark, consuming more, getting more, and looking forward while ex-partners and loved ones are swept aside in his wake. This is another feather in Keaton’s cap, a real triumph in his career’s “second act” that was jump-started with BIRDMAN.
The ex-MR. MOM is terrific, but he’s far from alone on screen. He’s got quite a wonderful supporting team, especially the two “lambs” gobbled up by the “wolf”. Lynch is the more outgoing and gregarious of the brothers, an easy-going, trusting soul always hoping to see the best in folks. By the story’s last act we see the terrible price his optimism has cost him when the stress erodes his health. Offerman’s Dick McDonald is the more somber and stoic of the two. A “sandwich savant”, he’s consumed with perfecting his craft, achieving a purity in the art and science of food service. He’s also the more cynical of the two, begrudgingly agreeing to Ray’s plans because of his affection and respect for his sibling. Offerman sets aside his usual gruff characters to show a man of integrity left heartbroken by forces beyond his control. Dern delivers a devastating take on the neglected wife, a woman who tries to support her mate, but realizes, too late, that they have drifted apart. B.J. Novak is smooth and sinister as the mastermind who joins forces with Kroc and provides a way for them to chip away at that constricting contract (“…like hearts, they’re made to be broken”). And Linda Cardellini sparkles as Ray’s biggest obsession after burgers (and kudos to Patrick Wilson as her soon-to-be cuckholed hubby).
Director John Lee Hancock seems to have a pretty good grip on these “inspired by a true story” films. Much as with his previous SAVING MR. BANKS, he’s pulled the curtain back on a subject we think we know well, giving us a title character as complex as “Uncle” Walt and Miss Travers. And the script from Robert Siegel really pulls no punches (I’m really shocked that the still-powerful company allowed such an unflattering look at one of its icons). It’s interesting that the final battle of the story begins with powdered milk shake mixes (“there’s no milk in ’em!”). The vintage autos and fashions are spot-on as is the retro pop soundtrack. Unfortunately the film has a real pacing problem. Perhaps a trim of the many montages and angry long-distance phone calls would have quickened the pace as it seems a good twenty minutes too long. However this doesn’t dampen the compelling work of Mr. Keaton and for his many fans, THE FOUNDER will prove to be quite a nourishing banquet.
The Weinstein Company has released a new trailer for THE FOUNDER, starring Michael Keaton, directed by John Lee Hancock.
The movie opens in cinemas January 20.
Directed by John Lee Hancock (SAVING MR. BANKS), THE FOUNDER features the true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a struggling salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential.
Writer Robert Siegel (THE WRESTLER) details how Kroc maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire. The film also stars Laura Dern as Ray Kroc’s first wife Ethel; John Carroll Lynch as Mac McDonald and Nick Offerman as Dick McDonald.
Director James Wan clearly knows a thing or two about sequels. His THE CONJURING 2 is not simply a remake of the first one but delivers a wealth of new scares, and despite a steep running time, it’s a worthy follow-up. Wan (SAW, DEAD SILENCE, INSIDIOUS) delivers another adventure of those true-life Catholic P.I.s (Paranormal Investigators) Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). This time they’re introduced in 1976 performing a séance at the original Amityville horror house on Long Island where Lorraine is terrorized by a demonic nun who haunts her dreams. THE CONJURING 2 then shifts to England, where it focuses on the real-life “Enfield Poltergeist” case (the Brit version of Amityville). Peggy Hodgson (Frances O’Conner) a weary working-class single mother of four, has had her home turned into a playground for a host of demonic forces that may center on an old man who had died in a nasty old leather chair in the living room. At first Peggy thinks the loud knocks and screams are just her kids misbehaving, but when she sees the furniture shuffling about on its own and her oldest daughter Janet (Madison Wolfe) slammed against the wall by unseen forces, she calls the local constable. When the cops witness a chair zip across the floor, they contact a priest, who knows exactly who to call – Ghostbusters Ed and Lorraine.
The reliable “gotchas” we now expect from cheesy modern horror; the jump cuts, jolt scares, dropped frames, and sudden noises are there in the U.S.-set sequences of THE CONJURING 2, while the scenes in England are presented in relatively simple fashion – a toy fire truck moves on its own while an eerie zoetrope spins silently. The hauntings of the two women (Lorraine and Peggy) are two stories filmed with separate styles that come together at the end. It’s a structure that works well, though it can’t quite sustain its 133-minute running time (I’m glad Patrick Wilson has a fine singing voice, but do we really need to hear him croon Love Me Tender in its entirety?). The length dilutes the horror which is a shame since THE CONJURING 2 often edges so close to being truly terrifying. The script is ambitious, with sharp dialog establishing the loving bond between the Warrens as well as the details of Peggy’s tribulations in raising four kids without a husband.
The special effects aren’t original (lots of moving furniture and levitating kids) but they’re effective, evoking a haunted house in unexpected ways. I especially liked the creepy nun demon and the shiver-inducing ‘Crooked Man’ who pops up, BABADOOK-style, from that zoetrope. While much of young Janet’s Reagan McNeil-style shenanigans are familiar, it’s still scary stuff.
That acting in THE CONJURING 2 is excellent across the board. Wilson and Farmiga make the Warrens credible while Frances O’Conner as the overworked Peggy and young Madison Wolfe as her possessed daughter have a complex dynamic similar to Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair in THE EXORCIST. Wan’s skills at creative camera angles and eerie visuals are strong, even during THE CONJURING 2’s most obvious moments, and that speaks to a filmmaker who clearly makes horror films because he enjoys it. Not every sequel has to be great to be worthwhile and THE CONJURING 2 is entertaining enough in its solid spook-show fashion. 2016 is less than half over, but it’s already been an outstanding year for horror films. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, PRIDE PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, and especially THE WITCH are recommended, as is THE CONJURING 2.
In 1970, the Warrens battled a malevolent presence that permeated a remote farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island—a case brought to the screen in 2013 in Wan’s hugely successful “The Conjuring.” Then came the most highly publicized case of their careers, Amityville, which would nearly destroy them.
This summer, writer/director/producer James Wan seeks to terrify moviegoers once again with his depiction of another highly publicized case involving the real-life horrors experienced by paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren with THE CONJURING 2.
Ahead of the June 10 release of THE CONJURING 2, there’s a chance to test your nerve with a petrifying new 360 video that lets you enter a world of terror. Step inside the Hodgson’s house and experience the chills of the Enfield haunting for yourself.
Click and drag your mouse around to discover the true terror awaiting you. Hidden horrors will be found just by moving your mouse… if you have the nerve.
New Line Cinema’s supernatural thriller THE CONJURING 2, with James Wan once again at the helm following the record-breaking success of THE CONJURING, brings to the screen another real case from the files of renowned demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Reprising their roles, Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up In the Air,” TV’s “Bates Motel”) and Patrick Wilson (the “Insidious” films), star as Lorraine and Ed Warren, who, in one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.
The film follows the phenomenal worldwide reception of Wan’s THE CONJURING, which marked the largest opening ever for an original horror movie. The film went on to make more than $319 million worldwide and still remains the second highest grossing original horror movie of all time, second only to THE EXORCIST.
WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of THE CONJURING 2 on June 6 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
We will contact the winners by email.
Answer the Following:
Director James Wan says of his new film, “My job is to tie into the collective subconscious and into our greatest fears, in this case it’s the unexplainable—demons, possession, haunting. These are things that really happened, that really happen, and that makes them that much more terrifying.”
Demons, possession, haunting – name a favorite horror film of yours containing any of these in it.
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
Following the record-breaking success of THE CONJURING, Warner Bros. Pictures has released a spine-tingling new trailer for THE CONJURING 2.
Stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reunite with director James Wan for another chilling chapter from the Warren case files set in 1977 Enfield, North London.
Reprising their roles, Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (“Up In the Air,” TV’s “Bates Motel”) and Patrick Wilson (the “Insidious” films), star as Lorraine and Ed Warren, who, in one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.
The film follows the phenomenal worldwide reception of Wan’s “The Conjuring,” which marked the largest opening ever for an original horror movie. The film went on to make more than $319 million worldwide and still remains the second highest grossing original horror movie of all time, second only to “The Exorcist.”
Following the record-breaking success of THE CONJURING, Warner Bros. Pictures has debuted the official teaser trailer for THE CONJURING 2. Stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reunite with director James Wan for another chilling chapter from the Warren case files set in 1977 Enfield, North London.
Reprising their roles, Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (UP IN THE AIR, TV’s “Bates Motel”) and Patrick Wilson (the INSIDIOUS films), star as Lorraine and Ed Warren, who, in one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.
The film follows the phenomenal worldwide reception of Wan’s THE CONJURING (review), which marked the largest opening ever for an original horror movie. The film went on to make more than $319 million worldwide and still remains the second highest grossing original horror movie of all time, second only to THE EXORCIST.
The film opens in UK cinemas on June 17; in US theaters on June 10.
Some words just sound better on paper than on-screen. Such is the case with S. Craig Zahler’s horror western BONE TOMAHAWK. What works in literary form does not work when spoken through the mouth of actors Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, and other members of this fine cast. Zahler has had a bright career as a published writer dabbling in genres but mainly sticking to the western front. Although I’m not as familiar with his style as some, his timely but overly snappy dialogue doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, and certainly isn’t as quick and sharp as the weapon of the film’s title.
A lone thief (David Arquette) shuffles into town late one night. He just lost his partner (played by genre veteran Sid Haig) and is still shaken by a sudden attack he barely escaped. But just as quickly as he downs his drink at the local watering hole, the town’s sheriff (Kurt Russell) throws him in jail – of course not before shooting him in the foot. The town’s nurse (Lili Simmons) is called upon to fix the new hole in the man. However, this late night call quickly turns into a nightmare when her husband Arthur O’Dwyer (Patrick Wilson) wakes to find that his wife is still missing in the morning. All signs point to a cannibalistic tribe that live deep in the mountains. It is now up to the sheriff, his assistant deputy Chicory (Richard Jenkins), an indian-killing gunslinger (Matthew Fox), and the injured O’Dwyer to hunt down the tribe and rescue the missing woman.
Russell and Jenkins are in top form as the two aging lawmen. Russell is straight no nonsense and all grit while Jenkins delivers much levity to the ultra serious affair. Their scenes opposite one another work the best. A charming rapport is ignited by two actors that can do this stuff in their sleep. Even still, some of their lines feel so forced and unnatural that you can’t help but roll your eyes.
Thankfully the dialogue starts to come together once the group sets out on the dusty trail. Male-bonding takes center-stage as the four men venture out into the unknown. Their support for the injured O’Dwyer is admirable and adds heart to their journey. But just as slowly as Wilson limps along, the film moves at a snail’s pace. At 133 minutes, Zahler spends far too long forcing the audience to empathize with O’Dwyer’s redemptive struggle against all odds to find his wife – he’s shown as some form of Rocky mixed with Jesus.
BONE TOMAHAWK showcases an impressive cast playing a cheap looking game of cowboys and indians. Aside from what the actors’ salaries, the only moments where you feel like the budget is being put to good use is in the gory effects. Blood splurts, limbs are removed, and bodies are bisected like meat in a butcher’s shop. The final act is a real showstopper! Gore hounds will be satisfied as well as those looking for a western with some bite. It’s just a damn shame that the journey leading up to the bloody bits is littered with stale male bonding, cheap looking costumes, and absolutely zero tension. Instead of building atmosphere as the cowboys close-in on the cannibal cave, Zahler seems more keen on creating sympathy for Wilson as he is shown time and time again hobbling around the desert.
BONE TOMAHAWK seems to want to be both a male bonding classic western while also incorporating a healthy amount of exploitation shocks. Zahler’s persistance on unnatural cowboy banter combined with an unnecessary sex scene (complete with female nudity, of course) and over the top bloodshed make this feel as if Lucio Fulci directed THE SEARCHERS. Given the talent involved, BONE TOMAHAWK feels more tawdry than the exciting genre mashup that it was shooting to be.
Deadline is reporting that Australian newcomer Lauren Esposito has landed a lead role in THE CONJURING 2.
THE CONJURING 2 is the sequel to the critical and commercial worldwide hit film THE CONJURING which has grossed over $319 million globally and is one of the most successful horror films of all time.
THE CONJURING 2 reunites the filmmaking team behind the original film – producers Peter Safran and Rob Cowan and director James Wan.
Wan is coming off of the huge global success of FURIOUS 7 earlier this year and is writing and producing as well as directing the sequel.
The screenplay was written by Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes & James Wan with revisions by David Leslie Johnson. Richard Brener, Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter will oversee for New Line.
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson will reprise their roles as Lorraine and Ed Warren. Previously reported additions to the cast include Frances O’Connor and Simon McBurney.
Sam Ellis (Patrick Wilson) is a high-powered lawyer with the U.S. Attorney’s office who is on a fast track to a higher political office. He has a loving wife (Lena Headey) and young son, the admiration of his colleagues, and the interest of a Washington power-broker (Richard Dreyfuss). In fact, Sam has everything going his way in life. But something is not quite right with Sam. There is a disconnect going on in the seemingly comfortable relationship with his wife, and Sam is turning to other sexual outlets to relieve the tension of his stressful job and super-powered future.
When a routine interview with a witness on a case turns out to be with a high-end escort, things begin to change for Sam. No longer satisfied with masturbating to internet porn, Sam makes contact with an escort service and starts having regular sexual encounters, with a new woman every time. But secrets this big are hard to keep, and we become witnesses ourselves to the tension of Sam’s predicament. Will his wife find out? What will the truth do to his political aspirations? Will the FBI investigate the escort agency and will the agency then implicate him?
A story like this really rests on the strength of its performances, and ZIPPER comes up aces in that department, as director Mora Stephens has culled fine performances from an excellent cast. Wilson, probably best known as the father in the INSIDIOUS films, plays Sam as a southern charmer; handsome and self-assured, Sam draws us in to sympathize with him even as we are repulsed by his behavior.
This dramatic tension works extremely well, as Sam’s sexual obsession affects his daily life more and more. Headey (TVs GAME OF THRONES), as always, lets her understated intelligence shine through in a low-key performance that makes her betrayal all the more affecting when the inevitable final outburst of emotion arrives. Dreyfuss is not wasted in the pivotal role of the snake-charmer, and John Cho and Ray Winstone also lend solid support. The escorts are also portrayed by some fine young actresses, including a particularly sexy Alexandra Breckenridge, and Penelope Mitchell as a younger escort with her own sad story. Mitchell is especially good in a wonderful scene that takes place in Sam’s parked car, which represents just how low this man has fallen.
The sex scenes—and there are many—are intimately shot and have a somewhat distorted quality, giving the impression of an almost drug-induced state that Sam is experiencing. At times during the sex, Sam has the look of someone on a bender who has suddenly realized where he was and what he was doing, and wondered why. Or perhaps it’s only the guilt of a generally good man doing something bad.
The main themes of ZIPPER concern the correlation between sex and politics, such as the addictive nature of both, the constant juxtaposition of doing things in secret that others want to know about, the use of sex as a political weapon. It seems to conclude that the very obsessive nature of certain sexual behavior is the very thing that makes a good politician. The film even darkly suggests that any sexual act can be used to achieve the means to an end, to help protect a political career.
Dramas mixing sex and politics are nothing new, ranging from the well-done (see THE GOOD WIFE on TV) to the tawdry (BULWORTH, anyone?). ZIPPER joins this genre as a very well-acted and thought-provoking study of a descent into sexual addiction.
RATING: 3 ½ out of 5 stars
ZIPPER is in Theaters and On Demand August 28, 2015
